i hope they are down by 1 or 2 - then they'll need a striker to come on. EDIT: Skyrbski just got a goal off a GK error - Schalke up 1:0
While he definitely wouldn't be on the bench without the 2 injuries at striker, Schalke's strikers have been awful this season, so there's room for him to make a mark. They have combined for 7 goals over 3403 minutes, or 1 goal every 486 minutes/only 1 goal every 5 games.
Well, if they score a couple they may showcase Haji for a few minutes to get someone interested in a January loan.
#Schalke - @WMckennie fehlt ebenfalls auf dem Platz mit Virusinfekt, wird daher nicht nach Porto fliegen. #S04— Dirk g. Schlarmann (@Sky_Dirk) November 26, 2018
McKennie is on the bench today, but Haji Wright is starting, so I made a matchday thread here: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/12-1-wright-starts-mckennie-bench-schalke-at-hoffenheim.2090638/
Here is our team for today's game 📋A first start for fellow American @HajiWright! Good luck, Haji! 💪#TSGS04 #SchalkeUS🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/TWCgkX2DXL— Schalke 04 USA🇺🇸 (@s04_us) December 1, 2018
Watching Weston's off-the-ball movement I cannot avoid thinking: that kid is smart. Yep, he has good technique but is not ever going to be a top class player. Yet his vision is, IMO, the best of all our players in top leagues.
it's funny b/c I've thought when watching WM that his movement is an area where he can improve the most... then when watching Wright play today for Schalke and the italy-usa match recently - was thinking that moving together as a group is so hard for usa players - but so important to the game. It is almost all of the game in some ways but so often overlooked in terms of picking players for USMNT - at least that's how it seems - at the end, it isn't easy to measure, i guess....
TBH, I think Wright had an off day today. He's not THAT bad. But he likely torpedoed his chances with that display. Definitely he can improve, but he's quite aware of the holes in the other team's defense. Today he was important in creating chances, one of them ended with the PK. I like McKennie's team play. Unlike Puli who has incredible natural talent, Wes is a guy making it mostly on awareness. Of course I'm always watching thinking of the NT.
Starting: Unsere Start-1⃣1⃣ für #S04BVB! ⚒️🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/lKXaVKfqbf— FC Schalke 04 (@s04) December 8, 2018
McKennie played central striker. He wasn’t super dooper effective but worked his butt off and made some things happen here and there. It is awesome to see how he can play anywhere, that is a great assest and testament to his soccer intelligence, and he’s so young. Nothing against Haji, but it did make a lot more sense to have McKennie up top, even if it isn’t his ‘natural’ position. He got a post game interview and seemed pretty bummed about losing this one. I think Dortmund’s first goal may have been his partial fault, but I suppose that’s debatable.
Huh? S04 were completely outclassed and Spuds went hiding instead of finding the match. I don't see any glimpses of the player who bossed the midfield against Portugal for the USMNT. In Tedesco's system, that top striker has freedom to find the match. He did the opposite.
Was able to see this game in person today. Weston kept trying to make so many runs that his teammates couldn't see and he was frustrated. The fans were yelling at their players for not seeing his attempts. He was also pissed at whoever was playing right wing since that guy wasn't on the same wave length. Man, this Schalke team with all their injuries to their forwards is not good.
Because their entire strike force is hurt. If any of us could make a decent run behind a defensive line, we could probably start for them at forward too.
It is not a spot that plays to his strengths (except his puppy-dog chasing instinct.) in my opinion. He's not a natural "back to the goal" guy.
Mentioned this in the pop. Thought that Wes was not in sync with RW till I saw two other mis-steps and realized it was the RW not reading the passes quickly enough.